6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Dexter Riley and his friends accidentally discover that a new chemical mixed with a cereal seems to give anyone temporary superhuman strength.
Starring: Kurt Russell, Joe Flynn, Eve Arden, Cesar Romero, Phil SilversFamily | 100% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
The Strongest Man in the World may be the weakest film in the loose "Dexter Riley" trilogy that includes The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and Now You See Him, Now You Don't, the latter of which isn't available on Blu-ray at time of writing. The films follow a Medfield College student (Kurt Russell) who invariably winds up with some superpower, in this film, obviously, that power is super-strength. It's a bit overstuffed and slow but still a decent good time at the movies, a simple, maybe even guilty pleasure that takes itself lightly even as tremendous weight is literally thrown about the screen. It's best enjoyed with modest expectations for humor, drama, and good cheer, all of which are presented in unequal parts but still add up to a mostly satisfying whole, albeit a whole that could stand a little fat-trimming to really make those muscles pop.
The Strongest Man in the World is certainly no looker on Blu-ray, but Disney's 1080p transfer holds its own and, at least, offers an honest leap forward from previous home video releases. Image clarity and stability are improved by the 1080p resolution. Details never reach for the stratosphere, but casual textures on clothes and faces satisfy while some of the odds and ends around the science lab or little bits around the powerlifting competition in the final act show some demonstrable textural robustness. Colors are occasionally punchy but not all that nuanced and, more often than not, not particularly well saturated. Bright reds at the acupuncturist, for example, tend to favor a bit of garishness, but splashes in smaller scales are handled well enough, things like a sofa's fabric or book spines lining a shelf in the dean's office. Black levels have a tendency to push a bit pale. Flesh tones appear more or less accurate. Mild macroblocking and light grain, occasionally a little spiky or snowy, are present. With modest expectations the transfer is fine; anything higher and it's bound to disappoint.
The Strongest Man in the World's Blu-ray serves up a rather puny Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. It's very basic stuff, obviously limited in range and lacking any surround support. The track conveys the basics adequately enough. Music never stretches all that far to the stage's widest reaches, but general instrumental clarity is good enough to get the idea. It's a bit muddled and messy but it gets the job done. Basic sound effects beyond are limited to a few little things, like screaming police sirens, which, as expected, reproduce the basic sonic signature but little more. Dialogue drives the majority of the film. It's presented with sufficient front-center imaging, though an underlying hiss occasionally accompanies it. Listen around the 58-minute mark as the hiss comes and goes with dialogue. Overall, however, it's enough to get listeners through the movie, no more and no less.
This Blu-ray release of The Strongest Man in the World, which is exclusive to the Disney Movie Club, contains no supplemental content. The main menu offers only "Play" and "Scene Selection" buttons. The included English SDH subtitles must be toggled on or off in-film via remote button press.
The Strongest Man in the World is a fun little diversion, a bit dated to be sure and coming up short in terms of both skillfully and frequently showing off the formula's strength and stumbling through a slowdown of a middle act. Still, it proves more entertaining than not and should please audiences looking for a light movie that can throw some weight around. Disney's Blu-ray release of The Strongest Man in the World is, at time of publication, exclusive to the company's online movie club. Video and audio are passable at best. No extras are included. Worth a nostalgic look.
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